Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear in coastal fisheries: A case study in the Baltic Sea coastal waters of Latvia

Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is considered a problem of global concern which can cause considerable negative environmental and socioeconomic consequences. Due to use of slowly degrading plastic materials in fishing gear construction, ALDFG can remain in marine environment for decades. Enclosed marine environments are particularly vulnerable for all types of pollution and anthropogenic effects, including pollution resulting from ALDFG. However, the extent of this problem is often not estimated. We estimated the level of ALDFG accumulated in a semi-enclosed coastal marine environment in the Gulf of Riga and along coastal areas of the Baltic Sea which are particularly susceptible to different types of marine pollution, including ALDFG. We based our results on a pragmatic approach of using existing ALDFG estimates. The results showed a potentially considerable amount of derelict fishing gear accumulated over the last decade, specifically gillnets and entangling nets and trap gear (2762 netting sheets (CI: 969–4976) and 1379 lost traps (CI: 473–2337)). Therefore, this study highlights the need for the fisheries management to implement adequate ALDFG monitoring mechanisms and subsequent clean-up operations to limit continuous pollution and ghost fishing.